Jack and Jill of America, Incorporated Literary Masterminds Children’s Book Contest The Power to Make a Difference Through Literacy 1
National Literary Masterminds Committee Members • National Program Director – Gladys Henderson • Central Region – Sharon Ivy (Kansas City, MO Chapter) • Eastern Region – Carmelia Taylor (Queens Chapter) • Mid-Atlantic Region – Helen Kimbrough (South Charlotte Chapter) • Mid-Western Region – Agnes Godwin Hall (Cincinnati Chapter) • Southeastern Region – Precious Jones (Macon Chapter) • South Central Region – Danielle Wesley (Northeast Dallas Chapter) • Regional Program Director Liaison – Celeste Adams, Mid-Western Region • Publisher – ReShonda Tate Billingsley, Mid-Atlantic Region 2
Literary Masterminds Children’s Book Contest Life is a book. There are many pages to be written. Lailah Gifty Akita • Jack and Jill youth, K thru 5 th grade , will be able to write, publish and illustrate an amazing children’s book. • This anthology will be published and released at the 2016 42nd Biennial National Convention in Palm Desert, CA (July 2016). 3
Contest Overview Helen Kimbrough, Mid-Atlantic Region The Power to Make a Difference Through Literacy
Literary Masterminds Contest Overview • Participation in the contest is optional, but we encourage all children to submit an entry. • No restrictions on the number of entries per chapter or per region, but all collaborators must be within the same chapter. However, only ONE submission per child. • Submissions will be anonymously reviewed and evaluated by national bestselling authors and literary expert external reviewers. • Chosen submissions will be professionally edited and included in a JJOA published c hildren’s anthology. • Placement of stories and illustrations will be the decision of the production team. • Brown Girls Books Publishing Company, owned by Member, ReShonda Tate Billingsly, will oversee the review, evaluation, editorial and production process. 5
Literary Masterminds Contest Overview • The book will be produced in paperback edition and will be available in both print and digital formats. • Children whose submissions are chosen for the book will be offered the opportunity to participate in a book signing at the national convention, at own personal expense. • After the convention, the book can be purchased on the JJOA website and at major bookstores (Barnes and Noble, Amazon, etc.) • No financial compensation will be awarded to children for chosen submissions. • Parents must sign the release form with each child’s submission (authors and illustrators). Submissions will become property of JJOA. Release form is included with the submission form. • Adherence to guidelines will be enforced. Noncompliance of submission guidelines may result in disqualification. 6
Submission Guidelines Carmelia Taylor, Eastern Region The Power to Make a Difference Through Literacy
Literary Masterminds Contest Entry Specifications • PLEASE REFER TO GUIDELINES FOR SPECIFIC DETAILS - Adherence to the guidelines will be enforced • THINGS TO REMEMBER – Contest is open to JJOA children in grades Kindergarten thru 5th. – Must promote and include or use “The Power to Make a Difference” theme. – Story, poem and illustrations must be original work, not copy written or previously published. – Only ONE submission per child. – A maximum of TWO collaborative authors are allowed per submission. (It is acceptable to have one or two authors per story or poem). – Only ONE Illustrator per submission. (The Illustrator may or may not be the author of the story). – No child identifiable information can be included in story, poem, or the illustration. 8
Literary Masterminds Contest Text and Illustration Specifications • PLEASE REFER TO GUIDELINES FOR SPECIFIC DETAILS - Adherence to the guidelines will be enforced • THINGS TO REMEMBER – Text Requirements • REMINDER: A maximum of TWO authors per story are permitted. • Text must be submitted as Microsoft Word .doc or .docx files. • Kindergarten and First grade submissions: minimum of 50 and a maximum of 100 words. • Second and Fifth grade submissions: minimum of 500 and a maximum of 2,500 words. – Illustration Requirements • REMINDER: Only ONE Illustrator per submission. • Submitted stories must have minimum of one and a maximum of three original, clear illustrations. • Poems are not required to have any artwork, but may only have one illustration. • Illustrations must be submitted in .pdf or .jpeg (JPEG Photoshop compression level with quality 10 or higher). No scanned reproductions of an image from another publication can be used. Do not send illustrations in a Word document. • Resolution: 300 DPI or higher 9
Literary Masterminds Contest Entry Process and Deadline • PLEASE REFER TO GUIDELINES FOR SPECIFIC DETAILS - Adherence to the guidelines will be enforced • THINGS TO REMEMBER – Each entry must have the following files: • Contest Entry Form • Contest Release Form (required parental signature) • Story / poem in Word .doc or .docx file • Illustration(s) in .pdf or .jpeg file – Please follow file naming conventions guidelines. – Incomplete submissions or those that do not follow these criteria may result in disqualification. – Submission Deadline = March 1, 2016 10
Evaluation and Publishing Process Danielle Wesley, South Central Region The Power to Make a Difference Through Literacy
National Bestsellers and Literary Expert Reviewers • Victoria Christopher Murray - National Bestselling and Award Winning Author of 20+ books, Teen Author • Kwame Alexander - Newbery Medalist and Acclaimed New York Times Bestselling Children's Author • Eric Jerome Dickey - World renowned, National Bestselling Author • Nina Foxx - National Bestselling and Award Winning Author of 10+ books, NAACP Image Award nominee, Teen Author (Jack & Jill mother) • Jacquelin Thomas - National Bestselling Author, NAACP Image Award nominee for teen books • Jerry Craft - Syndicated Cartoonist, National Bestselling Children's Author and Illustrator • Carol Hill Mackey - Former editor for Black Expressions Book Club, Author • Tanisha Tate - National Yes Prep Literary Reading Specialist • ReShonda Tate Billingsley – National Bestselling and Award Winning Author of over 35 books 12
“What Will The Evaluators Look For?” • Creativity - Originality of topic or story. Imaginative and grabbed reader’s attention. • Content - Consistent, controlled features and sentence structure. • Organization -Organized. Effective introduction, transitions and conclusion. • Central Idea - Conveys theme. Clear and sharply focused. • Grammar Mechanics - Presents ideas well with error free sentences. 13
Literary Masterminds Contest Selection and Publishing • Submissions will be judged on creativity, originality of plot and/or themes, content, quality of artwork, and compatibility of text and illustrations. • The submissions will be anonymously reviewed and evaluated. • All decisions of the judges are final and not subject to appeal or review. • Chosen submissions will be professionally edited and included in a Jack and Jill of America, Incorporated published children’s anthology. • Children whose submissions are chosen for the book will be offered the opportunity to participate in a book signing at the national convention, at own personal expense. • After the convention, the book can be purchased on the Jack and Jill of America, Inc. website and also at major bookstores (Barnes and Noble, Amazon, etc.) • No financial compensation will be awarded to children for chosen submissions. • The submissions will become property of Jack and Jill of America, Incorporated. 14
“What Makes A Great Story” ReShonda Tate Billingsley, Mid-Atlantic Region The Power to Make a Difference Through Literacy
Story Writing Tips READY………SET………WRITE! • Tips to help your child craft a perfect story • What to write? – Think about what they like to read. – Look around for inspiration. – Find something they're passionate about. – Do a creative spin on a traditional story. 16
What to Write and How To Write • Create a main character. (ex., Sela and her Magic Afro Puffs) • Hatch a plot . (Sela has to help her friend find her beloved dog) • Give your main character a problem. (Bobby the Bully has the dog) • Develop your plot by asking “what if” (What if all the neighborhood kids come together to rescue the dog ) • Build suspense. (Just when they're about to get the dog, Bobby's bully friends show up) • Solve the problem. (Sela and her friends rescue the dog. Bobby apologizes) • Poetry tells stories, too! 17
Story Writing Tools and Tips • The Best Stories – Include characters we care about – Tug at an emotion (happiness, sadness, anger, inspiration, etc.) – Use the five senses – Keep it Simple • Writing Tips – Just write on the first draft! (don't worry about spelling, editing, etc.) – Set small goals. (a page a day, 50 words a day, etc.) – Let your child's creativity shine through! 18
Tools You Can Use - Helpful Online Resources • http://imaginationsoup.net/2009/11/10/the- plot-the-setting-the-characters/ • http://www.readwritethink.org/parent- afterschool-resources/tips-howtos/help-child- write-story-a-30593.html 19
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